20 Ways to Avoid Trouble with Surgery

Editor’s Note: Dr. Zeltzman scored a coup in getting the trust representatives of the AVMA PLIT to participate in a conference call for publication. The first part of his report—“ 10 Ways to Avoid Anesthesia Trouble ”—was published in the July issue.

The representatives agreed to speak candidly with me to help Veterinary Practice News readers avoid 20 of the most common liability claims over surgical complications.

#5 Not this paw

During the consultation, the diagnosis should not be the only part of the discussion. It is important to discuss the possible complications so the owner’s expectations are compatible with what you can provide.

Every surgical candidate should have a thorough physical exam. This means not focusing on the tip of the iceberg, such as skin mass, but looking at the rest of the patient. For example, a patient facing ACL repair may not do as well because he also has hip dysplasia.

Problems, including disastrous mistakes, can occur because of misidentification of a patient. How often do you have two black Labradors in your hospital on the same day? We have all heard of horror stories where the wrong patient was euthanized because nobody took the time...